GONGZILLA "LIVE IN CONCERT AND THE EAST VILLAGE STUDIO"

This is the companion to the East Village Sessions CD. After I started with the live album released in 2001, it's really nice to actually see the band in action. They've gone as analog as possible in this digital age and the results are excellent. I love all the digital frills that can occur these days in progressive music, but they have really dug down to the acoustic roots. The guitar and bass are electric, of course, but with minimal effects and the basic top quality musicianship really shines through.

Being such a synthesizer fan, I can say those forms of keyboard electronics are not missed thanks to the vibe work of Benoit Moerlin. I really like the way Bon Lozaga often does licks sounding like Allan Holdsworth, who was actually a guest on their first album, still has his own style though. The bassist, Hansford Rowe also has worked with Gong in the past, and is bassically pretty cool. Even more incredible is seeing that Gary Husband, who's worked with Holdsworth, has hooked up with Gongzilla and does the drums on this one (great drum solo). Excellent backup also by the percussionist Phil Kester, and the guest guitarist Chuck Garvey, too.